Chennai, 3 November 2014

The Congress in Tamil Nadu split Monday with senior leader G.K. Vasan announcing his decision to float a new party.

“The people are looking for an alternative. We want to give an alternative in Tamil Nadu,” Vasan told reporters.

He said the new party’s name and flag will be announced at the party’s conference to be held in Trichy this month.

“Steps will be taken to register the party with the Election Commission,” he said.

Several leaders of the Tamil Nadu Congress party like Peter Alphonse, B.S. Gnanadesikan and others have joined Vasan.

Vasan said the All India Congress Committee did not act as per “our expectations” so that a Congress government could be formed in the state.

He said for 48 years the Congress party is not in power in the state and the party has a vote share of more than five percent in the state.

“We will give preference to the problems faced by the state,” Vasan said about the party’s focus.

He said the party would follow the path laid by late Congress leaders K. Kamaraj and G.K. Moopanar.

To a query, Vasan said he had campaigned for the party in all the 39 constituencies during the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Tamil Nadu Congress chief E.V.K.S. Elangovan, however, told reporters that the party will not be affected by Vasan’s exit.

Editor’s note: Whenever we ask Congress leaders why they are supporting one family as their leader in whatever circumstances, they reply, “Congress is united due to one family rule, and if family leadership is not there, Congress will witness multiple splits”.

However the fact is that Congress has witnessed more splits under family leadership. So you saw Mamta parting way from Congress under Sonia’s leadership, Sharad Pawar leaving Congress under Sonia’s leadership and number of other leaders leaving the party under Sonia. GK Vasan is the latest example.